"Just Make Bingo Legal On Our Websites"

Which media mogul claims Bingo could be just the thing needed to save the newspaper business? Answer below...

It was Mort Zuckerman at Time's 100 Most Influential People Gala on Tuesday night. He continued:

Yes!" he answered. "The newspapers in England are supported almost exclusively by the profitability of running bingo games on their websites. It attracts an enormous audience. But here, you’re not allowed to do it. The gambling interests and Vegas and other places like that have managed to block any other gambling on the Internet. But London, that’s what they do. The Sun makes millions of dollars off of their bingo games." The possibility that he might one day do the same clearly filled him with joy. "Just think about that," he said. "Let every newspaper do that and they’ll all make enough money on their website to really help them stay viable. It’s a simple solution." Sure, it's simple, we said, but we're not sure "everyone" would participate. For instance, won’t the Times think it’s a little lowbrow? "The New York Times?" Zuckerman said, furrowing his brow. "I have to be honest with you. I don’t care what the New York Times does."[NY Mag]